A Special Treat for the Entire Family

Pumpkinville Offers Wholesome Fun

By Alicia Dziak

We usually reserve our annual Pumpkinville trip for a weekend, but this year, we decided to head out on a Monday afternoon. The weather was perfect — sunny, in the 70s, with changing leaves all along the route.

As we pulled in, anxious kids were jumping out of their parked vehicles to see this amazing place, and mine were exchanging the stresses of the school day for the excitement of Pumpkinville. Ava is 11 and Lily is 9, and they are no less excited to visit now than when they were very little.

After getting our wristbands, our first stop was the all-new corn maze. Since we knew it had been professionally designed this year by a company in Utah, we thought it would take a little longer than usual.

We got the Funky Pumpkin paper that served as our ticket into the maze and started meandering our way through, searching for the stencils to complete our pumpkin face. As we walked along, we liked guessing which part of the WYRK logo we were walking through (seen from above, the maze sponsor’s logo is carved into the corn!) We spent about a half an hour completing the maze, and when we checked our pumpkin faces against the naming poster out front, we had created “Buffy,” “Nosferatu” and “Ripper.”

“The new corn maze is fun and challenging,” Ava noted.

“I like that you’re on a journey trying to find stencils for the pumpkin’s face,” added Lily.

Next, we headed for the new pedal car track, which sits in front of and slightly to the left of the maze entrance. The cars are dune buggy-style vehicles with four wide tires that move by pedals, similar to a bicycle. Each car is tractor-themed and there are two sizes — one for adults and older kids, and one for smaller children. We lucked out and had the track to ourselves, so we piled into three of the larger cars. After three laps, with constant giggling and “trash talking” while we raced, we parked the cars. What a workout!

“I loved the pedal cars and it was good exercise!” said Lily.

“It was so much fun!” Ava said. “I liked racing my mom and sister.”

After that, we needed to refuel, so we settled down in the new food service area for some fresh cider — delicious! — and then to get some of Pumpkinville’s famous pumpkin donuts. Yum! Plenty of covered picnic tables make it easy to take a break and plan out our next stop.

We decided to visit the animals next. We fed the goats and laughed at the two baby goats that kept sneaking through their fence and heading to the machine that contains their food. A quarter buys you a handful of food that can be used for the goats, pigs, horses and sheep, and we tried to make sure every one of them got a few morsels.

“I love how cute they are and how you can feed them,” Ava said, laughing at the memory of the baby goats.

We also made sure to stop at many of the photo cutouts, including the one that measures height that’s always updated with current year, so you know how your kids “measure up” each year when they visit.

Another new attraction this year is a pumpkin house that is large enough to go into. It’s always fun to find another photo op! My kids like to strike goofy poses with them.

Next on the agenda — the Jumpin’ Pillows! These were installed last season and have quickly become one of the must-do attractions. The pillows are giant air-filled bags built right into the ground — kind of a cross between a huge trampoline and a bounce house.

“They’re bigger and bouncier than trampolines,” stated Lily.

“The Jumpin’ Pillows are my favorite thing at Pumpkinville,” Ava said. “They’re better than a trampoline, because they’re huge and they don’t have hard edges. It feels like you’re jumping on air!”

Finally, we browsed the gift shops, picked up some maple suckers, and picked out some gourds, squash and cider to bring home.

“I love Pumpkinville because there is so much to do and a lot of good food to eat!” Lily said of her favorite fall destination.

“I’m so glad that my family comes here every year!” Ava said.

And, as a mom, I’d have to agree. It’s just good, old-fashioned family fun.

Pumpkinville is owned by Dan and Diane Pawlowski, some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and you really know their goal is to make sure everyone’s having a great time!

Pumpkinville is about connecting with your kids and spending quality time together enjoying the great outdoors this time of year. Don’t miss this short window of opportunity to make wonderful fall memories with your kids!